I am a guitar player of 35 years and play a variety of Rock and Blues mainly.  I play riffs, lead, chords, finger picking and slide.  I have tried every make of strings I could lay my hands on over the years.  I have made a point of studying strings to find the best overall tone, long life, playability and value and have formed educated opinions about electric guitar strings over the years.

Electric guitar string prices vary from around £3 per set to around £10 per set in the UK.  However I have found that high prices price does not necessarily equal quality, long life and tone.   So which should you buy?  There are a lot of factors to take into account.  First of all let's look at some popular brands: Ernie Ball (Slinky), D'Addario, Rotosound, Dean Markley (Blue Steel), Elixir, Fender (Super Bullets), Gibson (Brite Wires) though there are many other makes/brands out there.  Some cheap brands are truly awful! The ball ends sometimes unwind and the strings are sometimes tarnished even when new and break easily, 

First a short history lesson: Way back in the 50's, vintage electric guitar strings were made of Nickel alloy but Nickel doesn't have the same affect on pickup magnets as steel so Nickel can produce a weak (some say vintage) signal.  So steel strings were developed which sound great however they can wear your frets down really quickly which you really don't want to do, as frets are costly to replace.  So most popular electric guitar strings are now Nickel Plated Steel which most players agree is the best overall compromise. Nickel plated steel strings are kind on your frets but have that steel core to give superior tone.  

Ernie Ball (Slinkys) and D'Addarios come from the USA and sell in the UK for around £1 more than British made strings due to import duty/tax.   They are pretty good strings however Slinky's don't have corrosion protection in the pack whilst D'Addario's do.  However D'Addario strings come in one pack which increases chaffing and D'Addario makes a big play of using less packaging but, like Slinky's, they come wrapped in plastic which isn't biodegradable.    D'Addario uses painted ball ends which adds a layer of paint to the machined brass which some players don't like, preferring pure unpainted brass ends. Just about all other string makers use uncoated brass ball ends.  Both these brands sell well and are widely used by many players.  Easily available in the shops just about everywhere.

Dean Markley's Blue Steels are made of steel and don't seem to be Nickel plated so I don't buy them personally. They make a big play of saying that their strings go through a cryogenic freezing process which "aligns the molecules"  Does it make a difference? Or is it marketing hype?  No-one else  know does cryogenic freezing though some other brands tried it in the 80s but dropped the idea. They are popular strings made in the USA though and seem to have a good reputation overall.  Again Some players favour them.

Elixers are an enigma to me to be honest, though I know some players use them. They are coated with Gore Tex which 'doubles their life'. The plus side is that it seems to work! But the down side is that they are twice the price of non-coated strings.  Around £10 per set.  So why bother?  What you win in long life you lose with a high price. Hmmmm  On the surface the attraction is that you need to change your strings half as often, but wait....read on:  The enigma for me is that only the three wound bass strings are coated. The three plain strings aren't!......so the three wound strings last twice as long as the three unwound ones.  I just don't see the point of that....    Especially as the top E is usually the one that breaks first.  One plus is that you get less string squeak but then some say they sound duller than non-coated strings even when new.  I tried them for a while but went back to buying two sets of regular strings at £5 each than one set of Elixirs for £10, for the above reasons. I just like the bright tone of new uncoated strings I guess.  However, some players love 'em and swear by them so it is down to personal choice, as always.

Fender Super Bullets have bullet shaped ball ends that fit into Strat bridges - but they don't fit all Strat type bridges so be careful as it is a real nuisance if you get one stuck in there!  Gibson Brite Wires are good too however both these brands carry a price premium which means you are likely paying more for the brand name.  Again both are made in the USA.   Both are popular and widely available and worth your consideration.

My own personal favorite electric guitar strings are Rotosound, which tick all the boxes for me:  They are made here in the UK. They are well priced in the UK (no import tax) They are Nickel Coated Steel strings so are kind to my beloved frets. They come packed with corrosion protected paper and packaging is biodegradable.  Ball ends are brass AND they give a free top E String (a good plus for me).  Rotosound has an endorsee list is to die for too (Hendrix, Pink Floyd etc)  However Rotosound  are not always easy to get in the shops.  I buy my strings on eBay though ....(of course!).  They are less costly than Sliky's and D'Addario's but that is because of the import tax - and I'd rather buy British than pay unecessary tax!

What I have found is that guitar strings are a very personal choice so try various brands out and you will find a set that suits your style, usage and pocket.  Don't just buy your regular brand, try others, you will likely find stings that suit you better than the ones you are using right now.

Finally, did you find this guide useful?   If so, please vote "Yes" below.  Thank you kindly.